The Way I Do
by PattiCobain
Summary: Harry Potter loves his wife Minerva, as well as his best friends Ron, Hermione and Draco. He has a good job and is leading an Auror division. The Whole Wizard Community adores the Wizard who defeated Voldemort. All in all he is happy. But it has been a long way to get there. OS Collection.
1. Chapter 1

Harry knew his was in trouble and never going to hear the end of this as he arrived in the corridor leading to the banqueting hall of the Ministry. Throwing his Auror robes for social occasions over his shoulders as he hurried towards the entrance, he knew from the soft play of music and louder growing conversations that the official part of the presentation for this year Order of Merlin was over. Fighting off the most dangerous Dark Wizard of their time three times while still underage and then defeating him at the age of twenty four, was probably the only thing right now that would prevent Harry from losing his job.

He had been supposed to be handing them out to the three receivers and holding a small speech because one of them was one of the Aurors in his division. But a last minute arrest had come in and he had been held up until twenty minutes ago. He had arrived to an empty home, no surprise as he and his wife had agreed to meet here, taken a shower in record time and dressed as fast as possible and still knew he was way too late.

Slightly out of breath he arrived in the hall and the guests standing closest to the door all turned around staring at him surprised. Harry quickly walked right into the crowd of the high society of the National and International Wizarding World, trying to draw as less attention to himself as possible, as his eyes scanned the crowed in front of him.

"Oi Harry!" the familiar voice somewhere to his right cause him to stop and turn, seeing his best friends standing at a bar table not to far from him. Ducking behind a corpulent Wizard in a purple robe he made his way over to Ron and Hermione.

"Were have you been?" Hermione asked the moment he came to a halt in front of them. Right in that moment Harry could see what George meant, Hermione did sound like her mother in law when she was angry. And currently her temper was even more explosive as she was five months pregnant and constantly ready to release her hormonal mood swings on those around her.

"I had to work, we finally found Rabastan Lestrange, you'd think I'd let anyone else handle him? Aside from the fact that the only ones on duty were newbies." he asked defending himself. He had told them it was a stupid Idea to have all high ranked Aurors attend the ceremony and leave the work to a dozen Aurors who where fresh out of their training.

Of course trouble was bound to happen and just barely half an hour before the start of the presentation, the message had come in, leaving no one but Harry to help.

"But you know this is important! Scrimgeour was furiously, he even snapped at Minerva."

"He bloody didn't? What an Idiot." Harry exclaimed, rolled his eyes in annoyance while he also grew angry at the Minister.

"Yes he did, but she wasn't happy about that I can tell you, she gave him quite a piece of her mind on what she thought about him and the situation. I'm sure he won't do it ever again, I swear he even flinched." Ron said not able to keep the grin off his face.

"You didn't happen to know where she is right now?" He said and both friends thought for a moment.

"I think I saw her talking to Draco and Tori somewhere by the bar not to long ago." his best friend answered and stood on his toes so he could see better. But before Harry could say or do anything another voice answered behind them.

"Well done Potter, I know you have the intellect of a Troll, but you know, even a Troll would have managed to get punctual to an event planned for months." he knew that voice all too well and turned around the see Draco and his wife Astoria.

"And you looked way better as a Ferret and still managed to convince Astoria to marry that face of yours, so lets just say we're even." Harry answered with a raised brow before grinning and turning to Astoria who shook her head smiling.

"Good to see you Tori, you and Hermione look wonderful tonight."

"Thank you and hello you old charmer." she answered and they shared a hug, "Will you two ever cut the fake insulting?" she then asked and threw a glance up at her own husband, who only shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

"Probably not." Draco answered before the two greeted Hermione and Ron.

"How's Scorpius?" Harry then asked the two and they both smiled automatically at the mention of their son.

"Good, his with my mother tonight. I'm pretty sure he did some accidental magic the other day, but Astoria still says he only swept the bowl down the coffee table." Draco said and Astoria sighed.

"Because I saw it with my own eyes Dear." before they would start an argument Astoria decided to face Harry again and change the subject.

"Why couldn't you make it in time?"

"Because we found Rabastan Lestrange and I was the only high ranked Auror left to arrest him, which we did by the way, but made it impossible to be on time." he answered and the two nodded understanding.

"Well, I think, though you have a very good excuse, that you need all of that charm of yours to make the many unpleasant conversations your wife had to make up to her." Tori said and Draco nodded.

"That is why I'll be on my way to search for her now. Do you know where she is?" Harry asked the couple who had been seen with her last.

"Probably still at the far corner of the bar trying to be left alone and failing miserably." Harry swallowed at Draco's words.

"Ah shit, okay. Thanks and if we don't see each other again I hope you have a nice evening." he hugged and shared kisses to the cheek with Hermione and Astoria and both Ron and Draco gave him a clap on the back. With that Harry made his way towards the bar, ignoring as much people as possible on the way.

He saw her at the far end of the corner of the bar like Draco had told him, she looked stunning in her close fitting dark red dress, her dark hair in an elegant up do hairstyle. But that one look that made him want to drag her home was also enough to show him that she was in a bad mood. While one arm was crossed over her chest the other held a glass of scotch close to her face as she watched the people in front of her. Harry also saw the tenseness in her neck and upper back, thanks so the low cut dress, from the way she stood there.

Ordering himself a drink, Harry downed the offered whisky in one go, demanding another before he walked over.

"You look absolutely stunning Mrs. Potter." he said when he came to a halt next to her, it always amused him a little that he was the only one who could call her that, every other person would hear a sharp 'its McGonagall-Potter' combined with a glare.

"I know Mr. Potter, twenty other men told me already." damn she was furious.

"Minerva I'm sorry I wasn't here on time, really. But we were able to arrest Rabastan L-" she turned to look at him now and he saw the anger flashing in the beautiful eyes behind the modern square glasses she had gotten sometime after the war.

"Oh I'm not angry you weren't here on time or here at all Harry! Sure it would have been nice to know you had to work, then I could've stayed home too. I'm angry at Scrimgeour and the way he talked about you." Minerva interrupted him and Harry blinked at her confused.

"You're not mad at me?"

"No, something was bound to happen when you leave the command to Aurors barely out of the training. He said that it was typical of you to leave the responsibility to others, that you never understood how important it is for you to play the poster boy for the Ministry and that you practically spat in the face of the whole Ministry and embarrassed him in front of every important wizard in and out of Britain." her voice shook with anger as she told him what Scrimgeour has said to her.

"And that made you this angry?"

"No, that made me angry. What made me_ this_ angry was when he brought up our marriage." now the anger that he had harboured against the Minister since he learned of his behaviour towards his wife grew.

"He didn't." his own voice giving away his anger.

"Oh he did. He told me that since we married you lost the focus on your responsibility even more, that I should make you an even bigger poster boy for them and that we have to celebrate our wedding anniversary big way, unlike our wedding, which he regrets allowing us to celebrate like we wanted and," she was nearly shaking with anger now, "that we should finally _produce, _he actually said _produce,_ some children because it's our damn duty to do so."

"Where is he? I'll rip his-" Harry was now furious and he would make Scrimgeour regret every single word.

"Don't bother, he's too thick to understand any of it. And I already told him that if he would ever try to tell you or us what to do and interfere in our relationship I would hex is old, wrinkled, miniscule balls off." that caused a smile to appear on his lips.

"That's my wife." Harry said and leaned in to kiss her. He could taste the Scotch on her lips meaning this wasn't her first, but knowing his Scottish bride could hold her liquor even better than he could, he simply enjoyed the mix of alcohol and her honey like lips. When they parted he smiled and stroked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You know we can always stop doing this." Harry told her quietly, they've had this conversation not as often as he had thought they would. He had dated Ginny and Padma only around a year each, the only real relationships before Minerva, but the two of them couldn't coup with bing famous and everything that came with it. They had this conversation, and near the end argument, at least once a week and he hadn't even defeated Voldemort back then having been only 16 and 18 years old.

"No, we agreed on it and I knew what I was getting myself into. You can't drop off the radar, apart from the fact that this wouldn't be possible with our jobs, the Wizard World loves you, you are the symbol of their freedom since you were a baby. It would be the same when the Muggles suddenly lost their Royals- I know you hate that comparison, but let's face it that's just the way it is." Minerva said and he knew she was right.

"And I don't mind it, I don't like it, I could live without the photos, the events and interviews, but I don't mind it. We're spending time together and if people feel better if they see on pictures we are happy, doing charity work and building bridges with other Nations, then fine, so be it. It's really a way for us to do good things. That's what we agreed on and we do a fabulous job, because we do what we want. But we didn't agree on becoming the poster couple for a downright ridiculous and uptight Minister and his screwed up Politics, trying to tell us how to live our lives."

"When was the last time I told you how brilliant and wonderful you are and how much I love you?" Harry asked, amazed how it was possible that he was married to her. Minerva smiled at his words.

"It's been a while."

"Well then, Minerva McGonagall-Potter, you are the most beautiful and wonderful witch to ever walk under the sun and I'm head over heels in love with you and that will never change, not in this life or another."

"I love you too you old charmer." Minerva replied and kissed him once more, even though he wrapped his arms around her body and held her as close as possible it was quite a chaste kiss for them. Like it always was on events like this because cameras were never far away. Once they parted again Harry placed two small kisses up her jaw so he could whisper in her ear.

"You know what? let's make the best of this evening, we'll dance a little and then I will take you home and get you out of this dress so I can fuck you and I will make you come so often you won't remember your name." he murmured in her ear and noticed with pleasure the almost inaudible moan that escaped her lips and how her fingers dug into his neck.

"What are we waiting for?" she whispered back and after another kiss he lead her on the dance floor. They had almost finished their dance, both teasing the other with whispered words and what would look like accidental brushes of hands, when Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes.

"I wondered when he was going to show up." Harry mumbled when Scrimgeour made his way towards them surrounded by his two bodyguards. The Minister only had time to open his mouth before Harry already interrupted him.

"I believe you have said enough today Scrimgeour." addressing him with his surname was always an indicator for the Minister that Harry wasn't pleased with what he was saying or doing, or both. And today he was really not in the mood.

Harry and Minerva stopped dancing and he placed himself slightly in front of his wife. With a calm expression so nobody would get the wrong idea he spoke.

"This is my last warning Scrimgeour. I hope you remember that I am the hero of the Wizarding World as you like to tell me, and therefore I am by far more popular than you are. They will follow my lead, not yours just to make things clear. We have been on the same page so far, but this can change should you ever overstep your boundaries again, did you understand me?" Harry said and he could see the anger rise in Scrimgeour's face but he knew that Harry was right and there was not one thing he could do about it.

"You wanted me to be their hero and you got what you wanted. Officially I don't have the power, but unofficially we both know that I could ruin your entire existences if I want to. Now, I never did anything like that because you did your job good, even though we don't get along personally. So let me put it this way, if you ever dare to speak to my wife like that again or disrespect her in any way, or interfere with our life, then I will destroy you. I will wipe you from their minds and our history, so nobody will remember the pathetic little man that once was Minister and even Fudge will seem better than you. Did I make myself clear?"

Scrimgeour quivered with rage but he didn't dare to speak at first.

"I can't hear you." Harry said and Scrimgeour forced himself to calm down.

"Alright."

"And?"

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you Mrs. McGonagall-Potter. It won't happen again." Minerva gave a small nod.

"Good, now that we have solved this. I'd like to enjoy the rest of the night with my wife, if you don't mind Minister." Harry told him and Scrimgeour didn't need to be told twice to better leave them alone.

"You know what? Screw the dance, let's head home." Minerva whispered in his ear.

"What? But we technically didn't finish our dance." she raised an eyebrow at him and he grinned at her.

"Just kidding." with that he kissed her again, before nearly dragging her off the dance floor and out the hall.

"Seems like Potty managed to save his arse again and is going to get lucky tonight." Draco grumbled as he and Ron watched their friends leave the party in a hurry from their bar table with their drinks, while their wives talked about children again.

"Yeah, lucky bastard." Ron grumbled and both took a sip of their drink.

"Fifty galleons he'll knock her up this year."

"Your on."

* * *

Hello dear readers,

I know I posted this once and then deleted it, because I thought I had to change it, but I'll keep it the way it is because I like it this way better

The One Shots of this Collection will all play in the same universe. That should explain itself a bit more with every new chapter. But just to clarify this is an AU where Harry prevented Voldemort from returning in his fourth year and so he could have some peaceful years before Voldemort managed to return when Harry was 23. And nobody gives a damn about Harry and Minerva, because of the high age of their kind it's normal that witches and wizards have partners that are significantly older or younger than them.

I hope you enjoy these and please tell me in a review if you do so or don't ( in a respectful manner people!)

Patti


	2. Chapter 2

He was a trained Auror, he had fought before and even though he hated it, he had even killed in fights. But this was different, he would never forget this, the images were etched into his mind forever. The screams and crying of scared, wounded and dying Witches and Wizards, most of them barely adults. The sight of falling bodies, the smell of burned flesh and all the destruction around him. Harry would never forget what had become of the placed he still called home, what was supposed to be a safe place for children, a place where they could learn, build friendships, fall in love and break hearts. A place where they could live, not die.

Now it was a place of destruction, fear, terror and death. They had turned what was supposed to be neutral ground into a battlefield. They had painted the walls of a school with the blood of innocent children, had filled the halls once ringing with laughter with bloodcurdling screams of fear. As Harry slowly walked into what was once the Great Hall, and now the makeshift base hospital, his eyes wandered over to the wall were all the fallen laid. He forced his feet to take him there, to see what he had done.

He saw many people he didn't recognize, but some of them he did know and the sight of their lifeless bodies was like a stab to his heart. He saw the whole Weasley family gathered around Percy. Beside him laid Colin and Dennis Creevey, Cho, Hestia, Sturgis, Daphne, Tracy, Professor Sprout, Seamus, Lee, Ernie, Anthony, Terry, Mandy and Remus. Harry saw many Resistance Fighters and fellow Aurors there, people he had fought with, who had trusted him with their lives. His heart clenched painfully when he saw Jackson, Simone, Olivia and Wesley, all his Auror team comrades except Ron were dead. But what caused Harry to feel sick and his body to shake, was the amount of dead students they couldn't evacuate fast enough. Some of them were so small that Harry _knew_ they were First Years, before him laid eleven year old children.

Harry couldn't take it anymore, he stumbled away, he didn't know in which way, he couldn't see the people he walked by. His blood was rushing in his ear, his heart thumping in his chest which felt constricted, but he just kept walking until his legs gave out under him.

"Harry!" for a moment he didn't recognize the voice that called his name, he didn't feel the arms at first, or the body he was pulled to. Only when the same voice continued to talk to him and helped him breathe again, did Harry recognize the person. Her voice, the distinct smell of her under a mixture of dirt, sweat, burned fabric and blood. It was Minerva. Even though Harry still felt awful because of the people they had lost, he was beyond relived to learn she was alive. A second later he felt guilty because her death would have been so much worse then all of the others together.

Harry turned and wrapped his arms around her, pulled her as close to him as possible and held her there, like he feared she would disappear the moment he let go of her. He felt how her own arms laid around him, felt her racing pulse through the skin of her neck against his own. Only when something warm and wet landed on the exposed part of his shoulder where is cloak and shirt had been ripped he pulled back thinking she was crying.

But when Harry looked at her for the first time he saw that, though there were tears shimmering in her eyes, it was blood from a nasty wound on her temple that had landed on his skin.

"Minerva you're hurt!" but before he could do anything she had wiped away the blood with what was left of her right sleeve.

"It's nothing, I've had worse. Are you okay?" she asked her voice full of worry.

"Yeah, just a few scratches and bruises." he stopped and took a deep breath as he took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "Have you seen them Minerva? Have you seen what I have done? Half of the dead were friends...and there are children...children Minerva! Because I was-"

"Stop! Stop right there Harry! This is not your fault, none of this was your fault. It's His fault and Snape's, he betrayed us, he let them in! If it wasn't for you and the others they would've slaughtered us all. Please don't take the blame for their deaths, the only ones to blame are Tom and his Death Eaters!" she had cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her "Nobody here blames you Harry...please, promise me you won't go, you know it's a trap." Minerva whispered but Harry didn't answer her, instead he kissed her.

She kissed him back after a little hesitation, knowing Harry hadn't kissed her only out of his love for her but because he needed time to find an answer. He knew she wanted one, that she deserved one and for the first time in their three year long relationship he actually considered lying to her, something he had not done once. But he knew better, he had to do it, because it was the only way preventing more people from dying and the thought alone that one of them could be Minerva, made him realize what he had to do.

With this in mind he intensified their kiss and put all the love he had for her in it. Once they finally parted Harry laid his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, just savouring being so close to her for the last time before he would tell her.

"You are going aren't you." It wasn't a question. Harry should have known better, Minerva knew him better than any one else, of course she knew what he would do.

"Yes."

"And nothing I can say, no matter how much I plead for you to stay because I love you, will change your mind am I right?" he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Yes." he took a deep breath, "If we are right with our theory, then I might survive and return."

"_If_ we are right, we don't know for sure and how do you plan to survive this? You'll be surrounded by Death Eaters."

"It's the only way. Even if I die, he'll be mortal again, you could end this. We both know there is no other way." Harry said quietly and raised his head to look at her. Minerva kept her eyes closed, but he saw the tears that ran over her cheeks, which he wiped away with his thumps.

"That doesn't mean it hurts less or makes anything easier." she whispered and opened her eyes. "But it also doesn't change the fact that I love you."

"I love you too, more than anything else in the world. And I will make sure, that he will be mortal again the next time he gets near you or anyone else I hold dear." Harry told her and kissed her one more time. God how much he wished they could have had a life together. If he somehow, miraculously, survived this, Harry swore to himself he would propose to her. With that Harry pulled away from their kiss and stood, pulling Minerva with him and hugging her close again.

For a few moments they just stood there, not saying a word. Harry slowly broke their hug and pressed another kiss to her lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too." this being the last words they might have said to each other Harry turned around and left the Hall. He walked through the almost complete destroyed Entrance Hall and threw his Invisibility cloak over himself as he marched quietly and alone towards his death.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe that the woman who had saved his life was the same woman, who had spent a good portion of her life helping the mad man who tried to murder him his whole life. Ever since they found out that Draco had joined the light side and had spied on them, Harry had wondered why Voldemort hadn't murdered Lucius and Narcissa. Only now did Harry understand that Voldemort had only waited for the day they caught Draco, so they could see their only child getting tortured to death before they were killed themselves.

And now with a simple lie, Narcissa had saved Harry's life. But now he needed a plan, Hagrid was carrying his "dead" body towards the Castle, he had to find a good moment to attack. But as long as he was surrounded by over fifty alerted Death Eaters, no surprise moment could give him enough time to get under the cloak and away.

Harry then thought about the people he cared about back at the castle, if they saw him they would believe he was dead! Though he knew they wouldn't stop fighting, what if his supposed death managed to put them off long enough for Voldemort and his Death Eaters to murder more of them.

Harry had to force himself not to move a muscle and play the dead when they arrived in front of the castle. But he was still lucky that Hagrid was so rattled he took no notice of any signs that might show him Harry was still alive. His heart was beating so hard and fast in his chest when Voldemort called the Resistance Fighters to come out, that he thought it was a miracle no one around him heard it.

"Come and see! See what happened to the great Harry Potter!" Voldemort laughed and then he heard the screams. Hearing his friends and family shout his name in desperation, especially Ron and Hermione, was the worst thing Harry had ever heard. Still nothing could have prepared him for Minerva.

"No! Please no! No!" her screams were worse than the Crucio, worse than any pain he had felt up until this point in his life.

"Ah, Minerva why don't you come a little closer, I'm sure we can have a civilised conversation, no need for shouting." _please don't do it, please don't do it Minerva!_ hammered through Harry's mind, but against his silent begging he heard other people calling her back, with no success. Despite the almost physical pain that the death of her beloved brought her, Minerva knew that now the only thing keeping Voldemort alive was his snake. The only way to get to her was to get closer to Voldemort himself, she would finish what Harry started. And if it took her life then she would give it, but Minerva would take that damn snake with her!

"Thank you way better don't you think?" his taunting words were followed by silence. "You know, as you are the only one left that could lead this...well, let's call it resistance, I think we should put an…agreement on some conditions."

"You can't believe that this is over." Minerva said and encouraging shouts and yells could be heard from all the others. Harry had to keep himself from opening his eyes and peeking at his beloved, because he knew that when he gave in, he wouldn't be able to stay "dead" for another second.

"Silence!" and immediately the voices were cut off. "Of course this is over my dear, Harry Potter is dead. The-"

"And that's the reason we won't ever surrender! We will keep on fighting you for every life that was lost tonight, their deaths won't be in vain!" the silence charm was broken and again the shouts and screams of all his friends echoed through the night. Again Voldemort put a silencer charm on the fighters, this time Harry could even feel the magic radiating off him.

"And you- kneel before your new Master, or feel the pain of disobedience." for the first time in his life Harry wanted her to do what Voldemort said, but he knew that would never happen and in the next moment her screams of pain confirmed his assumption. Harry had to clench his teeth so hard he thought they would brake to stop himself from helping her.

"Well, I believed you to be wiser Minerva. But it seems I was wrong about you in so many ways." Harry could hear him walk around and dreaded what would come next.

"Do you see this? Do you see the pathetic whore under my feet my dear friends! Look at the filthy whore who laid with the so called Saviour of our World! A whore who spat on our noble values when she invited my enemy between her thighs, when she let him touch her, let him use her for his own carnal desires. A filthy and disgusting whore, worth even less than a Mudblood from the moment on she excepted my enemy's seed within her for the first time! But tell me how does it feel to see your _lover_ beaten and dead, knowing he died while abandoning you, especially you, leaving you back here as my gift."

"That's not true..." Minerva's voice was steady and free of any emotions, she wouldn't show him any reaction to what he had said about her, she didn't care what he said about her, he could insult her all he want, but she wouldn't let him speak that way of Harry or cast a slur on his memory!

"Harry did not run away, he sacrificed his life for us and we know the truth. No matter what lies you try to tell us, we won't stop fighting! We remain loyal unlike your henchmen, who deserted the sinking ship like the rats they are the first time and you know they will do it- Ahh!" the Crucio interrupted her and for what felt like hours her screams echoed around.

"You better don't anger your knew Master again Minerva." Voldemort said when he lifted the curse off her.

"You won't ever shut me up and I don't have a Master." her voice was strong and everyone knew there was no way he would ever break her. Harry's problem was that Voldemort knew that too.

"Alright, you want to play the brave, your wish is my command." Harry couldn't hold back any longer. He opened one eye a tiny bit just enough so he could make out what was in front of him. Minerva was kneeling alone in front of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but with her head raised high, Harry felt his heart beating faster again this time also with pride, his fierce woman wouldn't back down ever. In the distance behind her he could just make out the others, standing close together and on the alert. Voldemort waved the wand and for a moment Harry didn't understand what he did until he caught something in his arms.

"Let's make an example on the honourable Headmistress and show your friends what happens to people who don't understand that my era began." with that he forced the Sorting Hat on Minerva's head and stepped back.

He raised his wand and the hat flared up, the fighters by the entrance screamed and then many things happened at the same time. Behind the Death Eaters reinforcements lead by Charlie Weasley and Andromeda Tonks turned up also screaming, Harry couldn't pretend any longer and jumped from Hagrid's arms, Minerva tore the burning hat from her head and pulled Gryffindor's sword from it and with a cry she beheaded Nagini.

For a moment everything around them happened in slow motion and Minerva stared up towards Voldemort and he stared back, in shock. Harry knew she had no chance to get her wand in time, she knew her death was unpreventable, Voldemort's arm moved so Harry did the only thing that he could.

"Tom!" he whirled around and they stared at each other but Harry's wand was already pointed at Voldemort.

"Avada Kedavra!" the green light emerged from the tip of his wand and the shocked look on Voldemort's face turned to one of surprise. The killing curse struck Voldemort in the chest and he was thrown off his feet and landed on the ground a few feet away. He was dead. It was over, it was all over now.

The world around him had stopped, they all looked at him and the dead man in front of him. For a moment everyone had stopped fighting, not one said a word. Then many Resistance Fighters started cheering, Death Eaters began to disapparate so they held as many of them back as possible. But Harry only had eyes for Minerva, he quickly pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked and he could feel her tremble in his arms as she let out a teary laugh.

"You- you died and you ask me if I'm okay?" she pulled back a moment but only so she could lay her hands on his face, her left was burned and half of her face was covered in dried blood but Harry didn't care and kissed her. He was free, finally free, it felt like the weight of the whole world had been lifted off his shoulders, it was like he was finally breathing for the first time in his life.

"You did it! It's over oh Merlin it's finally over. I love you Harry, I love you so much! I thought…I thought you were dead." Harry brushed the tears off her cheeks but he couldn't answer her because all his friends and the other Resistance Fighters rushed towards him. He hugged Ron, Hermione and Draco who were the first ones to reach him and then everything was a blur.

Harry didn't know how long it actually took until he was sitting here on his own, didn't know how many hands he shook, with how many people he had talked but it had been hours. The sun was just rising above the mountains in the distance and it's light danced across the surface of the lake, it looked like even nature was happy that Voldemort was no more.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" he didn't move, didn't look up, he just lifted his arm and laid it around Minerva. Her head came to rest on his shoulder and her bandaged left laid on his bend knee.

"Yes. I never thought I'd see the sun again...see you again." Harry murmured and he didn't even try to stop the tears that ran down his face. They held each other as they both cried, cried for the last two and a half years they spend in terror and fear, all the people who had lost their lives for this moment, so that he could end it all. They sat there until their tears had stopped flowing and watched the sun rise higher and higher.

"We're here...we are both here and alive. We...we can have a real life again." Minerva said and Harry looked at her and nodded, he then pulled her closer against him and Minerva laid her head back on his shoulder.

"Yes we can, together."

* * *

Hello dear readers,

here is the next Chapter! I hope you liked it! Please tell me if you did. :) Also big thank you to everyone who followed, favoured and reviewed the first Chapter.

I'm extremely sorry for taking Neville's big moment from the Battle, but I just had to for obvious reasons.

See you the next time around!

Patti


	3. Chapter 3

When Harry arrived at Hogwarts this morning, he stood before the Gates and couldn't help but admire the sight in front of him. Though he was married to the Headmistress for almost three years, he couldn't visit as much as he'd like. Harry had also thought about flooing straight up to Minerva's office, but he wanted to take a stroll on the grounds and enjoy the feeling of being back to the place that would always be his first home. The home on which grounds he had fought and died on. His home he helped to rebuild after the war had left most of the castle in ruins.

Like always when he was here, he visited the great Memorial they had built near the lake. A white granite wall surrounded by flowers on which the names of the fallen stood so that the Witches and Wizards who had lost their lives for freedom and peace would never be forgotten. Next to each of the names stood little candles which burned day and night, and many who visited also left some flowers, like Harry did every time he came.

Harry had thought it would be difficult to come back after the war, after everything they had seen and been through at this place. It had been hard in the beginning, when they had rebuilt the castle. All of them had flashbacks and were plagued by nightmares of the fight. But as they turned their home back to the state it was before in all it's glory, it was like they were healing too. With every stone they rebuilt together, it was like they were rebuilding themselves, putting the pieces of their broken souls back together.

Until the castle and its residents once again stood tall and proud in the light. Many of them left with cracks on their bodies and souls, but still united and even stronger than before.

But today, his visit would be short because he and Minerva were invited to a Charity Event in New York, and they would be leaving this morning. Upon walking inside the Entrance Hall, he immediately saw a familiar face between the students who were walking to their next class.

"Hey Ferret Face!" he called out to Draco, who was just about to leave down the Dungeons. Many heads turned around and looked at him as they started to whisper in shock as none of them expected someone would dare to disrespect their strict Potions Professor.

"For Merlin's sake, I'm a Professor show some respect Scar Face before I give you detention," Draco answered, annoyed as he turned around as Harry walked towards him.

"Oh, I beg your pardon _Professor_ Ferret Face."

"Just shut up," Draco said and then spotted a student raising his wand at another student over Harry's shoulder, "Five points from Ravenclaw Mr. Jordan, and if you don't want to get detention you better never raise your wand outside of class again!" Harry looked back just in time to see a boy dash up the Grant Staircase.

"If somebody gave us a Knut every time we heard that as students, we'd be even richer than we already are. "he said and then looked back at his friend.

"True, but what are you doing here, and what the fuck is that on your face?" Draco asked.

"Well, first of all, that's called a beard, just because you can't grow real facial hair doesn't mean others can't either," Harry said stroking over his short beard while remembering the horrible attempt of Draco to do the same a year ago, "And secondly I'm picking up Mina for the event in New York. Our portkey goes off in about half an hour."

"Oh yes, the event, I almost forgot that, but since you already mention your wife, what's up with her? She's been briefing poor old Flitwick all morning like he hasn't taken over the school before, seriously I'm afraid he'll break down any minute." Draco told him.

"I really have no idea, maybe some important school board meeting is coming up or something like that, and she just wants to make sure everything goes as planned?"

"Probably, well, I've got to go and teach some dunderheads how to fucking stir a potion correctly. Have fun in New York!"

"We will! Greet Tori and Scorpius from me." Draco just raised his hand as he walked away, letting Harry know he heard him, while Harry went to his wife's office.

On his way up, he greeted students and Ghosts alike. Everyone was curious about what he was doing here, as a visit from the husband of the Headmistress was always a reason for gossip. When he finally arrived at her office and walked through the door, he was greeted by a strange and equally amusing sight.

Minerva was pacing back and forth behind her desk, giving out orders and requests alike in breakneck speed to helpless looking Professor Flitwick, who was seated in a chair in front of her desk almost hidden by books and parchments not able to say anything.

"What the-? Mina, what are you doing?" she hadn't even noticed her husband had entered until he spoke up.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, I said I would be here to pick you up around ten o'clock, you remember? New York, the Event? Does that ring a bell?"

"Of course! I was just surprised it was already this late, I still have so much to do!" Minerva answered and pointed at the parchments and letters on her desk.

"Darling, Filius has taken over for you many times before and for longer periods than one weekend. What's going on, are you alright?"

"Harry's right Minerva, everything will be taken care of, but I appreciate the update on the behavioral code in case of a Dragon attack on the school from 1756," Flitwick said, pointing to the top parchment of the tower in front of him.

"Oh, I'm sorry Filius, I don't know what came over me." Minerva apologized slightly embarrassed, while Harry suppressed another chuckle, and Filius let the flood of parchments and Books sort themselves back to their places in the bookshelves around the office with a wave of his wand.

"Alright, now that is taken care of, are you ready to go?" Harry asked as he walked over to Minerva and gave her a short kiss as he hadn't done so since yesterday morning when they had last seen each other. His wife returned the kiss before nodding.

"Yes, we're ready to go. Do you have the portkey back home?" Minerva asked, and Harry decided to have some fun with her.

"Well, about that, I have a surprise for you." he began with a sly smile, and Minerva arched one eyebrow at him, knowing her husband this could easily end in disaster.

"What surprise?"

"We won't be taking a portkey."

"The train then?" she asked though she thought they had agreed they wouldn't take the train to the States leaving from Platform 3 at Kings Cross.

"Not quite, we are going to take a plane to New York," Harry said with a fake excited expression on his face, while his wife blinked at him confused before she turned to look at her colleague.

"Did he just say 'a plane'?" Flitwick only nodded, knowing that if this was going to end in an argument, it was always better to stay on Minerva's side.

"I did, come on neither of us has ever been on a plane before. Plus, we won't be bothered by other Witches or Wizards on the flight."

"Are you crazy? Harry, we can't take a plane there! That's going take us forever, and I will not spend hours in such a- a metal death trap! Nobody would bother us on a broom either, but we're not flying to New York, are we?" Minerva argued, and Harry couldn't help himself and began to laugh.

"Why are you-" then she realized he had only been joking and playfully slapped his shoulder "Stop laughing at me. That was not funny!" she said, watching as her husband calmed down again and tried as hard as she could to not crack a smile herself.

"I'm sorry Minerva, but your face was priceless," Harry said and leaned in to kiss her once more, though he was not entirely forgiven Minerva kissed him back and made a mental note to get back on him. "Now let's go home and catch our portkey to the Big Apple," he added, and Minerva nodded before turning to her colleague who smiled at them.

"Thanks again Filius and if anything-"

"Serious is going on I'll let you know. Everything will be fine, you go and enjoy your time in the States." with that being said, the happy couple said goodbye and flooed to their house so they could take the portkey to New York.

* * *

Once they arrived in a swirl of colours at the MACUSA portkey arriving point, Harry had to hold Minerva up so she wouldn't fall, which was rather unusual for her. It usually was Harry who had trouble travelling gracefully via floopowder or portkey. To this day, he rarely arrived at a place without ruining furniture near the fireplace with soot.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Harry asked as he pulled Minerva against him.

"Yes, I'm just a little dizzy," Minerva answered, blinking a couple of times to clear her vision, and Harry frowned at her.

"Have you been skipping meals again? I swear I'll force Kreacher to bring you something to eat every day when we're back, and he won't leave until you actually eat something!" he said seriously knowing she had the tendency to forget to eat if a lot was going on, but Minerva only rolled her eyes.

"It was just breakfast I skipped, so please don't be overdramatic," she answered and turned to the young witch in MACUSA robes standing by the door.

"Welcome to the MACUSA Mr. and Mrs. Potter, my name is Tanya Walters, and I'll be responsible for you during your stay. If you need anything, just use this two-way mirror." the young witch said and handed them a small, nicely decorated mirror.

"Thank you very much, Miss Walters, but it's actually McGonagall-Potter," Minerva said friendly, but the cheeks of the young witch still turned red in embarrassment.

"Oh- I'm so sorry, I didn't know!" she said, and Minerva gave her a small smile.

"It's alright, but magical folk tends to degrade women to accessories of their husbands once they marry and I certainly don't plan to accustom to that," she explained, and Harry had to hold back a laugh as he would ever be able to degrade Minerva to a trophy wife, she would hex him into the next century if he only thought about that.

"I'll keep that in mind. Would you like to go to your hotel?"

"Yes, that would be great," Harry answered, and the witch leads them out of the room and into the busy Entrance Hall of the MACUSA. Unsurprisingly there were a few reporters and photographers that tried to reach them, but all of them were blocked by the security wizards of the MACUSA.

"I'm sorry, we tried to keep them out as best as possible, but they always find reasons to get inside," Tanya explained, but Harry dismissed that with a wave of his hand.

"Believe me, we know, and you did a good job at keeping them at bay," he said as they walked outside the building where a car was waiting to bring them to their hotel. Their hotel, the 'Seven Seasons', was located next to Central Park, and their luxury suit on one of the top floors had a breathtaking view of the park and the skyline of the city.

"Even though I could never live here, it certainly a wonderful view," Minerva said as she stood in front of the large windows and looked outside. Harry walked up behind her, laid his arms around her, and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Not as beautiful as you but still appealing." he murmured and could practically hear her rolling her eyes at his words. They simply enjoyed the moment until Harry remembered an interview he had given a French magazine and had to chuckle.

"What?" Minerva asked and turned slightly to look at her husband.

"Do you remember the interview I gave that French magazine two years ago? When I was asked about my favourite place to stay in Diagon Alley, and I said it was the Leaky Cauldron and all these fancy French Wizards turned up in Hannah's Pub?" both had to laugh at the memory Hannah had shown them of that day.

"I wonder why they never interviewed you again."

"Yeah me too, Merlin I received so many howlers that day, luckily I couldn't understand one word all those people were yelling at me," Harry answered, "I also don't know what their problem was, I lived at the Leaky Cauldron when I was thirteen and thought it was alright and back then it was still run by Tom. I think Hannah turned it to a really nice place."

"Well, I think that might be because you described this place, but instead, they got rather small, quite rustically rooms, of which most had a view on a shabby Muggle market."

"Nah, that can't be the reason." with that, he turned Minerva around in his arms and kissed her. They hadn't seen each other often the last week because both of them had been so busy with their work. That was the main reason for Harry to do such events around the world because even if there was something to do or somewhere to be, they got to spend time together.

"I love you," he mumbled against her lips before capturing them in a loving kiss again.

"I love you too," Minerva said once they had parted, and the fingers of her right stroked over the hair on his jaw, "And have I already told you that I like that beard of yours?"

"No, I don't think so; you really like it?"

"Oh definitely, it's very sexy," she replied, and Harry grinned.

"Then it surely fulfilled its purpose." they kissed again and then decided to use the rest of the day before the event this evening to go sightseeing. They dressed as Muggles with Harry wearing a simple outfit containing jeans, trainers, a shirt, and a thin jacket. Minerva also chose some tight jeans, a loose dark red shirt, and a cream coloured cardigan.

Hand in hand, they strolled through Central Park, went to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Met Fifth Avenue. Harry had also spontaneously bought a camera to take pictures of them and the city to show their friends and families back home. After that, they visited some of the magical sights the city had to offer.

First was the counterpart of Diagon Alley named Eighth Avenue, which looked like a more modern and posh version of Diagon Alley. Then the Memorial of the war against Grindelwald, and after that, the Witches Shelter. It was a shelter build by witches for other witches who had been hunted by Muggles and Wizards alike in the seventeenth century. As Quidditch fans themselves, they also visited the American Quidditch League Museum and the new underground Quidditch Stadium under Madison Square Garden.

* * *

"Wow, that was a brilliant but exhausting day," Harry said as they entered their hotel room a little over two hours before the event at the MACUSA.

"Yes, the right way to end this day would be a glass of wine and a nice bath," Minerva said as she put the bags of little gifts for their friends, including a stuffed Jackalope and Demiguise for Scorpius and Rose, on a chair.

"That does sound wonderful," Harry said as he kicked his shoes off and stretched. He would love to just spend the rest of the evening and the night at their hotel room, no event, no cameras or reporters, only the two of them.

While Minerva went to the bathroom, Harry decided that they should enjoy a few more moments alone and searched the bar for a bottle of Champagne, which he quickly found and filled two glasses. Like Minerva had when they arrived, he stood in front of the windows and admired the view as the sun began to set over the city.

"It looks even better now," Minerva said as she came to stand beside him, and Harry handed her one of the glasses with a smile.

"It does." they clinked glasses, and Harry took a sip while he laid his right arm around Minerva, and she leaned into his side.

"You know...it was such a beautiful day, and there are so many great things to see, and to do, we should come back here when the baby is old enough," Minerva said quietly, and Harry smiled.

"Yes, we should," he replied before his brain had processed her words, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Wait- what?" his glass slipped through his fingers and burst at his feet, but Harry only stared at Minerva with his mouth wide open. He was sure he had misunderstood her, there was no way she could have said _when the baby is old enough_.

"We're having a baby," Minerva said with a bright smile on her face and put the untouched glass of Champagne on the table beside her without looking away from his still shocked expression.

"Say- say that again," Harry begged her, barely able to form the words. They had stopped using protection around Christmas over four months ago, deciding they wanted to start a family. So this wasn't coming out of nowhere, but still, Harry's heart was thumping so fast and strong in his chest that he thought it would just jump out as Minerva took his face in her hands.

"I'm pregnant, we're having a baby." a second later, she found herself in his arms and felt his lips on hers in a fierce kiss. Harry's whole world exploded in happiness, he had only ever felt this way twice before when she had told him for the first time she loved him and when said 'Yes' on their wedding day. But at this moment, knowing he was going to be a father, that the love of his life, his soulmate carried his child, their love manifested in a human being was the best day of his life so far.

"I love you, oh Merlin I love you so much! Please tell me this isn't a dream." Harry said and didn't even try to hide the happy tears that well in his eyes and ran down his cheeks.

"It's not a dream, it's one hundred percent real, we are going to be parents by the end of the year," Minerva answered and didn't know if it were her hormones or just the fact that Harry so happy, that she couldn't hold back her own tears.

"I love you. After our wedding, this...this is the best day of my life." they continued to just hold each other in their arms and basked in the happiness of the moment until Minerva spoke again.

"We should get dress, the event starts in two hours." but Harry shook his head.

"Screw them, we're not going. I'll donate them all the money they want, but I don't want to spend tonight with strangers. This is our night, and we will celebrate it together, just the three of us." at his words, the happiest smile Minerva had ever seen laid on his lips.

Harry then laid his hands on her still flat stomach. He couldn't wait until it was big with their child until he could feel the movement of their baby against her skin, that magical moment Ron and Draco had told him about. Harry had envied both of them because they had lived his dream, but now it was happening. He was going to be a father!

"Do you know how far along?" Harry asked, his hands gently caressing her belly.

"Almost eight weeks," she smiled, "I'm pretty sure it was that Valentine's Day gift of yours." he grinned at the memory. He had rented them a small, lonely cottage on the east coast, away from everything and everyone. They had spent the whole weekend naked and loving each other on every surface, his favourite being in front of the fireplace.

"I wanted to wait a little longer before I tell you, but during the last week, I started to feel some nausea throughout the days, and I knew I couldn't keep that from you for long," she said, and Harry kissed her once more.

"I'm glad you told me now."

"Me too."

"You know what? A beautiful and brilliant witch I happen to know mentioned a bath earlier. How does that sound?" Harry asked her, and Minerva smiled.

"Like the best thing in the world." he then picked her up bridal style and carried her into the bathroom.

Two hours later, a disappointed crowd of reporters and cameraman and a desperate organiser realized that the famous British couple wouldn't turn up for the event as advertised. There while the renowned couple enjoyed a relaxing bath in a luxury suite, imagining their future life as a family.

* * *

Hello there!

I hope you like the new update, I just had to write some happy Harry and Minerva! Who won the bet? Draco or Ron?

Thanks for every review that was left so far and everyone who favoured and followed the story!

Stay safe and inside your homes people!

Patti


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